Rylan Clark-Neal says he had to have a medical before hosting new gameshow Babushka as bosses feared the stress could give him a heart attack.

It’s seen as a high tension quiz show which is a bit like Deal Or No Deal but with a doll instead of people holding boxes.

Asked about the stress involved, Rylan joked: “When you work in TV you have to sign an insurance form to say that ‘I have not got a heart problem’ or ‘I have – and I am not going to die hopefully’ because basically if you do die then it’s your own fault.”

“These (producers) said, ‘You need to go for a medical’.

The tension is apparent (Image: ITV)

“The doctor was really nice and I went to Harley Street and she was like, ‘Why are you here?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know why I am here, I have never had to do this before’. Normally I just tick no in the boxes. Then I did the show and realised why I needed that medical because your heart rate goes up.

“I had people stand up scream and go mad because it is such a risky game.

“It’s a bit like Deal or no Deal. What everyone fell in love with about Deal or No Deal in the early days… it’s such a simple format and it’s luck with a bit of knowledge. It’s about how greedy you are with it.”

ITV's newest game show Babushka starts this week in place of The Chase (Image: ITV)

Rylan also told Square Eyes how he is as big a TV fan as us – but it still hasn’t helped him stay trim. He said: “I had a gym built in my house and I had plasmas in every room.

“I said, ‘I won’t go in there unless there is a plasma on the wall and I can run to Loose Women .’ I get bored ­otherwise.

“That plasma has been on the wall for two months and I have still not been in there.”

Babushka kicks off at 5pm tonight on ITV and will run in place of The Chase for the next few weeks.